Family Reunions

As anyone who has ever planned a family reunion will tell you, getting from “Hey, let’s all get together” to “We’re here!” is no easy task, especially for an already-busy couple. I’ve helped guide several large and small families though this task and can share some points I’ve learned along the way to make your job easier, and the results exactly what you envision. 

1. First and foremost, elect a single decision-maker for the family: someone who's in tune with their desires and needs. The decision maker can consult with the family members, but ultimately has to be the one to make the final choices. And it’s the decision-maker who communicates with me.
2. Determine the type of gathering you want: for example, large or formal versus small and intimate, active versus relaxed, all-reunion-related versus private away-time built-in. 
3. BUDGET! If everyone is paying their own way, you will be driven by the lowest common denominator here. If you are picking up the whole bill, it’s even more important that we have a solid budget to start with. 
4. Decide where you want to go. Consider the spirit and tastes of the family and be guided toward destinations that emphasize beaches, wine & food, art & history, adventure sports, mountain retreat, or urban excitement. And then consider how far across the globe you want to travel. 
5. Let me get involved from the get-go. I can help guide you through the myriad details regarding budget, locale, weather, accessibility, events, etc.
6. Consider any must-haves. Swimming pool? WiFi? Cooking classes? Mountain bikes? Whatever they are, it will help narrow and define the ultimate property (or cruise ship … don’t forget that option!). 
7. Strive for an exclusive-use, buy-out, of a property, whether it’s a three-bedroom villa, a 6-tent safari camp, an 18-passenger river barge, or a 25-room castle – it’s best (and usually cheapest) when it’s all yours!
8. Give family members plenty of time to clear their calendars. Even two years in advance is a good starting point. It may be too early to book flights and sometimes too early to confirm space, but certainly never too early to book the calendar!
9. Pick the hard core dates for the main event(s) and then let everyone decide how much extra time before or after they may want to spend in the area. I’ll work directly with everyone on their individual schedules. If I can make all the travel arrangements it will assure a seamless program for everyone – nobody will miss a transfer or be caught with a missed deposit! And it will all be on your spreadsheet. 
10. Maintain communication with me at all steps to ensure we are all on the same page at all times. I’ll update you with detailed itinerary and spreadsheet so you’ll always know what’s planned, who’s where, and how much it’s costing.
11. Consider a "Test Drive" of the property and surrounding area, especially if it’s a large gathering. Plan a short trip to the area a year in advance to get a feel for which local guides and activities will fit your family. When you return a year later with your whole family, it will truly feel like coming home. (It also solidifies your position as the in-the-know authority.)
12. Engage a professional photographer for a day or two, to take the requisite a group photo and capture family members in candid shots. These will be your favourite pics, and I have just the contact for that: http://www.flytographer.com/
13. Don't put off your reunion. Start planning your gathering while older family members are still in good health and able to travel.
14. Make travel insurance an integral part of your plan and budget. If you know everyone is insured from the moment of first deposit, you will sleep nights and arrive rested!

So tell me – when, where, and how much? Let’s get this party going!
Then ... Just consider it done!